Last night, while testing a natural nail polish on my toes, I was also staining my hair with something natural. I’ve been using henna for many years now as an alternative to the harsh chemicals and dyes that are available.
I discovered a site called Mehandi.com a while back that carries body art quality henna as well as a number of additional dyes and natural beauty products, like amla, cocoa and mango butter, as well as soaps and shampoos.
Depending on how thick or coarse your hair is, it should be left in your hair for two hours or more. Two hours works well for me, but I’ve read that other women leave it in for six hours! I’m wondering if that’s necessary. The best thing to do is read the instructions carefully. For this henna, the powder needs to be mixed with an acid, like lemon juice (and water) and allowed to incubate for several hours to allow the color to be released.
Because my hair is medium to dark brown and I want it to stay within that range, I actually mix the henna in a 1:1 ratio with indigo (another powder that I mix with water and then combine with the henna), another plant stain that by itself turns hair black. When combined, the henna and indigo give my hair a rich brown color that casts highlights of red in the sun. Much nice for me than looking like Bozo the clown! It also adds volume and body to my fine hair and it is super shiny. Know that this is a permanent form of color. It will fade over time, but I will usually reapply it every six to eight weeks to cover the new growth.
Just one more way that I’ve attempted to keep my body clean…
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